


Business and Pleasure

by hellowkatey



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Republic (Comics), Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Asajj Ventress Has Issues, Beating, Electrocution, FebuWhump2021, Force Suppression (Star Wars), Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt/Comfort, Planet Rattatak (Star Wars), Torture, Whump, how much sarcasm is too much sarcasm?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:13:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29142780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellowkatey/pseuds/hellowkatey
Summary: Ventress has taken Obi-Wan hostage, and he must find the motivation to endure the merciless torture.[Febuwhump day 2: "I can't take this anymore"]
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Asajj Ventress, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Asajj Ventress
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138259
Comments: 6
Kudos: 40





	Business and Pleasure

He's lost track of how long he'd been here. By the numbness in his chain-tied arms and the hollow ache of his belly, he'd guess a few days. The chamber she is keeping him in has no windows, no way to judge whether the beatings he endures are ten minutes or ten hours. 

And without the Force, Obi-Wan truly feels like he is merely floating through some sort of boundless wasteland. 

A week ago (two weeks? a month?) he wasn't chained in a torture chamber with a Force suppressant entrapping his body and mind. Obi-Wan was enduring the already-horrific Battle of Jabiim. 

They weren't ready for such a difficult trial so early in the war. Not only did the Separatists have the upper hand strategically, but they had the support of the Jabiimi rebels who were acclimated to the constant rain and random deadly mudslides. 

Plain and simple, the battle was a blood bath before Asajj Ventress pulled him out of the burning walker. Now, he has no idea of the outcome. 

He has no idea if Anakin is okay. No way of reaching through their bond to tug at his Force presence with reassurance. The damned Sith torture mask not only prevents him from using the Force, but it chokes him with the icy fist of the Dark Side. All he can feel is the constant stream of anger, pain, and death that seems to have amplified through the galaxy since the Clone Wars began. 

_No wonder Ventress is so irritable all the time. She has to feel this stream of darkness on a constant_ _basis_. 

Speaking of Ventress, the door to the far side of the chamber opens, and in walks his captor. She walks with her usual long strides and slight sway of her toned body as though she is strutting into a cantina and not her prisoner's keep. When she notices he is awake, her lips turn in a sinister smile that morphs the vertical tattoos at the corners of her mouth. 

"Kenobi, how lucky of you that I don't have to _beat_ you awake." 

The torture mask only has eyeholes, which makes speaking difficult-- but not impossible. He forces a smile, even though she can't see it anyway, but it makes him feel better.

"If there were such a thing as luck, I would agree." 

She saunters over, an electroblade she likes to use when he mouths off just a little too much hanging menacingly in her hand. With his hands and feet chained so that he hangs in midair, Obi-Wan is entirely at Ventress's mercy. He has no way to strike back. No way to use the Force to unchain him. All he can do is try to figure out why in Sith's hell she is continuing this ruthless song and dance. 

"Your disbelief of luck is ignorant. How else would you end up here with me?" she says as she runs the deactivated electroblade tip down the center of his chest. 

"I do believe that was a deliberately set trap," he eyes her. "Nothing to do with having bad luck." 

"Oh right. It is a shame that so many others had to die for me to get my hands on you. A shame for _you_ at least." 

He swallows hard, trying to keep his emotions at bay. Trying to prevent her from seeing how the brutal death of his comrades affects him. 

"I'd think you'd resent this task. To be pulled off the battlefield for the sheer purpose of having to deal with me? And to what importance am I anyway?"

She rolls her eyes. "You really are denser than durasteel, Kenobi, you know that?" 

"And you'd prefer to be back on Jabiim raising the death toll." 

A sharp jab at his ribs and Obi-Wan's body seizes as a sharp volt of electricity courses through him. He sags against his restraints, breathing hard through the residual shocks that pulsate through his fingers and toes. 

"Don't get me wrong, my duty is to be an assassin, but this--" she hits him again with the electroblade. "this mixes business _and_ pleasure _._ " 

Ventress says this, but when Obi-Wan looks at her he can see the glint in her eye fade at her own words. She claims to enjoy this-- perhaps she does in some ways-- but he can also tell the weeks of torture may be taking a toll on her as well. 

"I didn't realize business was also being conducted here," he says cooly. 

"Oh, you thought I was simply a masochist then?" 

"That would be one explanation." 

"And other explanations?" 

He tries to shrug, but with his arms restrained he just kind of bobs in place. "Orders." 

Ventress crosses her arms. "I don't take _orders_ from anyone, Kenobi." 

"Not even your Master?" 

The uncharged electroblade slams across his face, snapping his head to the side. He can feel the warm ooze of blood trickle down his cheek from where she struck him. 

"What do you think you know of me?" 

If he could grin, he would. Ventress has kept the truth of her allegiances held tight. Her story was that she was a Separatist spy, and his torture was for Republic information-- except, Obi-Wan quickly realized she asked him no questions about the secrets of the Republic or the Jedi. She only inflicted pain. 

"Don't you think the Sith torture mask gave it away, Ventress?" 

She glares at him. "My eyes aren't yellow, Kenobi. I'm no Sith." 

"But you do _work_ for the Sith. Tell me, how is Count Dooku these days?" 

It's a shot in the dark, but from the way her eyes widen ever so slightly he can tell he has figured it out. It wouldn't be the first time Dooku has captured him, but the torture is certainly new. Even on Geonosis, his aim wasn't for pain, but for _partnership_. At least, initially. 

A blast of electricity radiates out from his ribs again. This time, she holds it a few seconds longer to truly demonstrate her displeasure at his deductions. When she finally pulls away, dots are swimming around his vision and he can hear his heart pounding in his ears. 

"You know _nothing_." 

"Or maybe..." he huffs through the lasting effects of the electrocution. "these aren't...Dooku's orders. Certainly... isn't his style." Obi-Wan forces his head up so he can look her in the eyes. She hovers the electroblade above his abdomen, but her icy stare is trained on him. "So am I standing in your way?" 

"Of what?" she growls. 

"Becoming his apprentice." 

There is a moment of silence, and Obi-Wan expects the electroblade to dig into his chest once again. 

Instead, Ventress lowers it. Sets it back on the tray. 

And picks up a paddle. 

"He is a fool," she says venomously as the paddle makes contact with his left side. "to think _you'd_ join him." Another strike to his other side. Obi-Wan twists painfully in his restraints, screwing his eyes shut tighter with every blunt contact with his aching body. "So I decided to take matters," the paddle smacks into his kneecap. "into my own hands." She grabs him by the chin, forcing him to look at her. He blinks through the dizziness to try and focus on her pale outline. "I will _break you_ , Kenobi, so my Master may see your _uselessness_ once and for all." 

She pushes him away, forcing his wrists and ankles to catch on the shackles and reopen the wounds that seem to never get the chance to close. His breath catches in his throat, and he has to cough to force the air from his lungs. All he can taste is blood and sweat; he feels it dripping down his chin and hears _drop, drop,_ dropping rhythmically onto the ground. 

Every second seems to pull him closer to unconsciousness. A part of him welcomes the respite. At least for a little bit. 

"I can't take this anymore," Obi-Wan shakes his head, causing drops of blood to fling off the ends of his hair. 

"Is the pain becoming too much, Kenobi?"

And he smiles. 

"Oh no, that's fairly tolerable so far. I meant your pathetic lamenting." 

Ventress stares at him incredulously before lashing out with her bare hand to strike the side of his head. Obi-Wan sees _stars_. 

She's yelling at him now. Threats of even more horrible and painful tortures she is ready to try on him. And yet, he is invigorated with a new feeling of satisfaction. His body feels as though it is crumbling, but it will be worth it. Dark Siders use their anger for strength, it also feeds a fatal weakness. Ventress's impulsivity and inability to control her fury has revealed the root of her plan-- to watch him break. 

By no means will he let that happen. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Not nearly as angsty as day 1 but all the whump ~of course~
> 
> This is based on the Star Wars: Republic comics issues 60 and 62. Let me tell you, they're gritty as hell.  
> Anakin thinks Obi-Wan is dead but he has to continue to fight this battle with the other padawans. Obi-Wan thinks Anakin is dead because he basically watched almost thirty other Jedi get killed. Jabiim is a hellscape. I didn't even go into some of the more horrific aspects of torture Ventress put this man through-- all in all it's pure whump for everyone involved.


End file.
